The holy trinity of a good night’s sleep is a comfy pillow, a great mattress, and the perfect pillowcase. So, if you want your guests to have restful nights, you need to get yourself some high-quality pillowcases.
To find the best pillowcases for Airbnb, we’ve considered quality, comfort, durability, and price. After going through numerous reviews, our own impressions as travelers, recommendations from vacation rental owners, and extensive research, we pronounce the California Design Den cotton pillowcase to be the winner. Keep reading to find out why we chose this one and what alternatives we recommend.
Why Buy Pillowcases Separately?
Why should you even buy pillowcases if they come as part of a sheet set?
You might want to stock up on pillowcases in case a guest asks for an additional one. Or, you might need to replace the current pillowcases (as they are typically the first parts of a sheet set to get worn out).
Some Airbnb owners amp up their rental with a theme and need pillowcases to go along with their flower or rustic design. Pillowcases can also add a pop of color to a bland interior.
To make the bed look more luxurious, you can add a couple of extra pillows and, of course, you’ll need new pillowcases. Any of these reasons (and many more) can get you shopping for new pillowcases.
Factors to Consider When Buying Pillowcases for Your Vacation Rental
As an Airbnb host, you need to think beyond comfort. You also want a pillowcase that is durable and that you can change easily, so you should consider the following:
Materials – Material affects cleaning requirements as well as cost. The most popular fabric choices are cotton, cotton-poly blends, silk, microfiber, and bamboo. A more luxurious option (and more expensive one) is Egyptian cotton. Natural materials are the best choice because they are soft, breathable, and durable.
Weave – If you’re not sure about the weave, percale pillowcases have a soft, crisp feel because of their tight, flat weave. Sateen weave is tighter and offers a silky smooth surface (and these pillowcases are perfect for colder nights since they’re a bit heavier).
Thread Count – This affects how soft and breathable the pillowcases will be. Thread count is the number of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch, so the higher the thread count, the softer the pillowcase. On the other hand, a lower thread count promises higher breathability.
Closure – Pillowcases usually have a side opening, buttons, or a zipper. The best closure for Airbnb pillowcases is the side opening or the envelope closure. You can just pop the pillow in without the hassle of unbuttoning. And, you don’t have to worry about the zipper causing discomfort to guests.
Size/Fit – If the pillowcase is too big, the pillow will roam freely within it, and if it’s too small, you’ll have to jam the pillow in and the guests might feel like they’re sleeping on a rock. Choose pillowcases that match the dimensions of your pillows. Curiously, standard size pillowcases fit standard and queen-size pillows, while king-size pillowcases fit only king-size pillows. If you have custom-made pillows, measure them and compare them with the dimensions of the pillowcases.
Color – For a clean, hotel-like look, go for white pillowcases. They are the easiest to maintain because you can use laundry bleach for stains and wash them at really high temperatures (unlike colored pillowcases). But, if you want your pillows to serve as decor pieces, colorful pillowcases are a great choice.
Ease of cleaning – Pillowcases need to be washed after every guest, so you need machine washable and durable ones. Wrinkle-resistant pillowcases are a plus, as you won’t have to iron them every time they come out of the dryer.
The Best Pillowcases for Your Vacation Rental
There are many good choices for Airbnb-suitable pillowcases, but we recommend the California Design Den cotton pillowcase. If you want quality and durability for an affordable price, you don’t need to look further.
California Design Den cotton pillowcase
Here’s what the California Design Den cotton pillowcases bring to the table:
100% cotton with sateen weave – They are made purely out of cotton, and certified as STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, meaning that they don’t contain any harmful chemicals. Cotton and sateen weave promise softness, while 400 threads per square inch ensure smoothness and breathability.
Stitched by hand – What’s really interesting about these pillowcases is that they are stitched by skilled artisans and inspected by hand (extra points for that attention to detail), so their look and feel resemble Egyptian cotton.
Side opening – The pillowcases have a 4-inch hem that keeps the pillows from showing, and this makes it really easy for you to change them.
Easy to maintain – According to reviews, these pillowcases keep their softness and color even if you wash them often. If you take them out of the dryer right away, they will barely wrinkle (another plus for no ironing).
Great reviews – Customers mainly praise the pillowcases for being soft, silky, durable, and eco-safe.
Full refund policy – If they don’t meet your expectations, you can return the pillowcases within 30 days and get your money back.
Choice of color – The spectrum of available colors is great. There are 19 different colors for you to choose from (from classic white to luxurious burgundy red).
Other Airbnb Pillowcase Alternatives
If you want to browse some more, check out Bedsure’s cooling pillowcase or the Amazon Basics cotton pillowcases.
Bedsure has these great cooling pillowcases perfect for hot summer nights. They are made of 100% viscose from bamboo which makes the pillowcases super soft while the breathable fabric wicks away the sweat.
These pillowcases also have a buttery-soft feel and a silky look to them, which can add a touch of luxury to your rental. The smoothness together with the moisture retention capacity of the fabric works great especially for those guests with longer hair because it eliminates tension and pulling.
For a budget-friendly option, we recommend the Amazon Basics 400 thread count cotton pillow cases. They are made out of 100% cotton and they have that classic hotel-pillow look. The downside is that they only offer 6 colors.
Final Thoughts
While you won’t be sorry if you pick any of these, we are sticking to our choice. The California Design Den cotton pillowcase is still the winner for us because you get the feel of cotton with a silky look thanks to the sateen weave. They are great pillowcases for all-year-round use, easy to change, come in many colors, and their durability will save you money in the long run.
